#Gods & Legionnaires

[somewherefornow]

GARTH RANZZ/LIGHTNING LAD & IMRA ARDEEN/SATURN GIRL & ROKK KRINN/COSMIC BOY & GRAYM RANZZ in LEGIONNAIRES 3 (1986)

[judedeluca]

One thing that's at least remained consistent with Lian over the years is her openly hating the characters the readers hate too and not caring how it sounds

[dzelonis]

Jason Anspach, Nick Cole - Galaxy’s Edge: Savage Wars #1-3

[thethronezone]

Primarchs at the birth of their child

Mortation keeps trying to tell the midwives how to do their job. He's not doing it to be a dick but he really comes of that way. He's wearing those plastic shoe covers.

Fulgrim has the balloons, he's got the confetti cannon ready, he's documenting the whole thing. Probably has an artist in the room, making a commemorative painting.

Angron is pacing around the room and glaring at the midwives, freaking them out. Has to be escorted out so they can do their jobs in peace. Still pacing outside the room.

Magnus is so fascinated by the process that he almost forgets to comfort the mother of his child. Spouts a bunch of random fact about pregnancies, childbirth and the human body to distract them from the pain.

Konrad is freaking the midwives out but they are too scared to ask him to leave. He's not even trying to be scary for once, he's just super focused on the delivery and can't look away. He hasn't blinked even once in twenty minutes. One of the midwives are crying.

Lorgar won't stop yapping. Oh what a glorious moment! Praise God! Another member for his flock to guide! Asks if he can save the umbilical cord and the afterbirth. For religious purposes. Lorgar, you fucking freak, no.

Perturabo keeps complaining the whole time. Why is it taking so long? Are the midwives sure they know what they are doing? The room is not big enough. Grumbles when the midwives throw him out.

Horus brought the entire Luna Wolves legion with him, they are all waiting in the hallway right outside the delivery room. He's filming the whole thing, providing commentary like it's a sport event.

Alpharius is there. Omegon is also there, disguised as a doctor. In fact, every midwife just might be an Alpha Legionnaire. They are all pretending everything is normal.

Sanguinius is acting like he's the one giving birth. He's crying so much. He's just- he's just so darn happy. The midwives don't have the heart to tell him to calm down. Is getting weirdly hungry?

Vulkan is yet another one that has to be escorted out of the delivery room. He was just too damn cheerful and kept interrupting the midwives by telling them how happy he was and that he's so excited to be a father. Like bro, they get it, but stop shaking their hands.

Jaghatai is right there, holding the hand of the mother to his soon-to-be born child. His leg is also vibrating at the speed of sound. He's so damn hyped but keeps calm so he won't be thrown out.

Dorn is unhappy because the birth is not taking place at the hyper secure, secret bunker he built for just this moment. He's barricading the room for "security reasons". Was asked to leave but straight up just said "no" and they couldn't do anything about it.

Leman is another Primarch that brought his entire legion with him. He was also promptly shoved out of the delivery room cause he kept getting in the way of the midwives. Stands outside the door, whining, wanting to be let back in.

Lion just stands in the corner, unmoving, barely saying anything except every now and then when he tells the midwives to work faster. Is internally freaking out about the whole thing.

Roboute falls asleep in a chair, covered by the baby blanket, and only wakes up when the delivery is well under way and almost done. Please forgive him, he ain't gotten a good night's sleep in years.

Corvus is also freaking out, though compared to Lion, is much more vocal about it. He's already convinced he's going to be an awful dad and that the child will hate him. Corvus, please, chill.

Ferrus is trying to distract himself from the fact he's about to be a father by focusing on the tools and the scientific aspect of it all. He is also freaking out but refuses to show it.

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

the favorite of the gods. l General Marcus Acacius

Summary:  you were in the temple when the war came and the man of your dreams stood on the doorstep

Warnings:  +18, smut, mentioning about war, swearing, fingering, unprotected sex (don't do that), breeding kink

 A/N: this story came from a single thought. it's not perfect, that's for sure, but i hope you like it. thanks for your feedback and the love you give me. ❤️ sorry for all the mistakes

You knew he would appear even before he set foot on your land. Before the birds began to cry and herald the arrival of armies. Before the wind changed and brought the sharp smell of smoke and war.

All this didn’t scare you so much, because his strong and majestic figure kept appearing in your mind and before your eyes. He was almost equal to the gods. You didn’t know his face, but you heard his voice - low, but soothing; commanding, but gracious - addressed only to you.

"Don’t be afraid, little bird."

You found refuge in this temple years ago, as a small, lost child. The priestesses gave you a home, and although you couldn’t become one of them fully, you put on their robes, learned the words of prayers and songs, took part in services honoring the highest. The temple of white stone became your home, and you were safe in it.

Then came the war.

You had heard about it from travelers and people who appeared on their way to safer lands. The Roman Empire was approaching, expanding its territory with sword and blood.

You couldn’t stop it with any prayers, any sacrifices. It was then, during your nightly prayers, that you saw him for the first time.

The undefeated favorite of the gods, the favorite of the god of war, Mars.

Terrified by this vision, you were unable to sleep. You blamed the fumes of incense for these hallucinations, because you knew no one like him. But when smoke as black as night appeared on the horizon, covering the sun, these visions began to haunt you more and more often.

Due to the approaching danger, all the priestesses were asked to leave the temple, and although they resisted, they eventually packed their meager belongings.

It was then that you decided to approach the oldest of them, the one you treated like a mother.

"A man?" she asked, sitting on the bed and looking at you carefully "When did you see it?"

"During the days and nights. During prayers and work." You knelt down next to the woman taking her hands in yours "He visits me more and more often. His voice... But not only that. I see a laurel wreath on his temple, I hear the patter of children's feet, but I don't see those children..."

"Mhmm... Do you see anything else, daughter?"

"Buildings. A city as if made of gold... What does this mean, mother? Have the gods cursed me?"

The woman smiled weakly, but her hand caressed your cheek.

"No, child. It is the grace of the gods." she replied. "Although you weren’t one of us, they had already chosen your fate. I knew that you didn’t appear by accident... They chose you to be married to Mars' favorite, to give him offspring as strong as he is and as wise as you."

"I-I can't... You must be wrong." Your eyes widened in disbelief.

"I can, but can you deny that this man haunts you in your dreams and in your waking life? You saw him before the smoke appeared on the horizon. He is coming for you..."

So you waited. Alone, in the empty temple. You devoted yourself to prayer and meditation, inhaling the scent of candles and incense, asking the gods to take away these visions and this man. Although he terrified you, you were unable to refuse the calling that the gods and fate had chosen for you. You were just clay in their hands, they were the ones deciding your fate.

Despite the fact that it was still daytime, the entire area was engulfed in dark clouds of rising smoke.

You saw the first Roman legionnaires on the temple steps. However, they didn’t enter, still respecting the sanctity of this place. You didn’t have to wait long, however. The clatter of hooves indicated that someone of higher rank had appeared, someone who had more courage to cross the temple threshold.

The favorite of the god of war, Mars.

He entered alone, as if he was not afraid of danger. His black and gold armor, with the golden head of Medusa on his chest, reflected the weak light coming through the windows. He was tall, with broad shoulders, strong features and dark hair, although you could already see silver streaks in it.

He looked around the main chamber with interest. But it was only when he spoke that you recognized him fully.

"Don’t be afraid, little bird." His voice bounced off the walls and reached your ears, your heart beating faster "Show yourself to me, because I know you are here."

"How do I know you haven't come to kill me, son of war?" you replied, clinging more to the column behind which you had found shelter "You bring death and despair, there’s no place for that here."

His footsteps were quiet, and your heart was beating so loudly that it was hard to focus on anything else.

"You are not a priestess." the man was close, you could feel it.

"Why do you think so?"

"Otherwise they would have taken you with them."

"You do terrible things with women, shame will fall on each of you." you moved carefully to hide in the shadows, you knew he was already on your trail "We have to run away from you."

"But you stayed. Why?"

You swallowed hard, feeling your throat tighten. The footsteps faded and appeared again, you couldn't see where the man was without revealing himself at the same time.

Suddenly you heard the sound of metal falling to the floor.

"I have no weapon with me." he continued "I am defenseless and condemned to your mercy. Show yourself."

You almost dug your nails into the stone column behind you. You had heard so many stories about merciful gods who saved people and other beings by turning them into trees or streams. Couldn't they have turned you into a bird so you could escape from this man? Were they really that hostile towards you?

You didn't find out though, because a strong hand gripped your wrist and pulled you towards the dim light. Brown eyes looked at you intently from under dark brows. It was the face of the man from your dreams. Skin touched by the sun, still a little dirty from the dust of battle. You recognized this silhouette immediately, it was him.

The favorite of the god of war, Mars.

"I know your face." he whispered, slightly surprised. "I've seen you before..."

"That's not possible..." you replied, trying to free your hand from his grip. "I've never been to Rome."

"I didn't see you there. I saw you here." he pointed to his head, and you froze. "You've haunted me in my dreams so many times..."

It was true. General Marcus Acacius felt like a man cursed by the gods. When an unknown figure began to appear in his dreams, he first thought it was the result of the wine he had drunk. However, the figure didn't disappear. He searched for her face in the faces of other women, but none of them were the sweet spirit that haunted him.

It was unbearable. He saw a face, heard a voice, and felt under his fingers, or at least that's what it seemed to him while he was dreaming, the soft skin of a being who looked at him with such love like no one had ever done before.

And now that same being stood right in front of him, looking at him with fear. He let go of her wrist and stepped back, feeling unworthy of being next to something so pure and beautiful. But his eyes were greedy, refusing to stop looking at the face he had adored for so long.

"How is that possible?" he finally spoke.

"I have no idea." you shook your head. "But I saw you too. With a laurel wreath on your temple, strong and undefeated. The favorite of the gods."

He frowned.

"Is that all you saw?" he asked. "Tell me the truth. Don't hide anything from me, little bird."

Your eyes filled with tears. You didn't want to, but you knew you had to tell him the truth. More and more riddles were finding their way.

"I heard the footsteps of children... And I saw a beautiful city, bright and golden. That's all..."

"Have you told anyone about this?"

"Only the priestess, who is like a mother to me." you replied "She said it was the will of the gods, that it was my fate and I couldn't change it... That this man would have me as his wife, and I would give him children, strong and wise, undefeated and wonderful like him."

"That's why you stayed here..."

"I can't fight what fate gives me."

The man approached you and his hand, although he hesitated for a moment, touched your warm cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment as if it gave him relief.

"I heard the same thing. About a woman who would give me solace..." he sighed "It's you, little bird. Tell me your name."

"Y/N."

A small smile appeared on his lips as he repeated your name, almost with reverence.

"I am General Marcus Acacius." his voice was strong and clear "You are in no danger from my hand, the gods are my witnesses. The creature haunting my dreams should not be afraid of anything. Are you afraid?"

You nodded.

Even though all the secrets were solved, you were even more afraid. Was this what the gods wanted for you?

Marcus took your hand in his, kissed the back of it tenderly and brought it to his cheek. You felt his rough stubble under your fingers, but he was like a docile animal. His gentle eyes stared at you with adoration.

"There is no other but you." he whispered, bringing his face closer to yours. "There will be no other but you. If the gods chose us, who are we to oppose it?"

"Marcus..."

That was all you could say when you felt his lips on yours. It was like nothing else you had ever experienced. He kissed you with passion and lust, and his hands rested on your hips, pulling you closer to him.

You slid your fingers into his hair as his tongue slipped between your lips, the last door he had to go through to possess you. You felt the desire growing between your legs. 

It was a familiar feeling. You didn't admit to the priestess that this kind of feeling accompanied your dreams, you couldn't do that. But now Marcus was real, he wasn't just a dream.

You felt the cold stone behind you as he pressed you against one of the columns. Only your delicate robes and his hard armor separated you. His lips slid down to your neck and collarbone, kissing and nibbling, and a soft moan escaped your throat.

You couldn't resist it. When his hands slid down the straps of your robes, revealing your breasts, his eyes sparkled.

"Do the gods really want me to possess something so perfect?" he croaked, but after a moment his lips closed over one of your nipples.

He sucked it and teased it with his tongue, and you felt your legs start to refuse to obey you. His thigh slid between yours, and you felt shivers at the sudden touch of your heat. His hands moved to your breasts, which he squeezed tightly.

"You seek solace just like me..." he sighed, feeling you move your hips to feel at least a little friction that would bring you relief. "I'll give you what you need."

He abruptly pulled up the hem of your robe, then found your pussy, and without hesitation, he slid two stiff fingers inside it. Your body tensed as he began to pull them in and out.

"You've never had a man before, I can feel it. I can see it." he whispered right next to your ear. "The gods destined you for me. So pure. Let me possess you. Will you let me?"

You nodded, unable to find your voice. His fingers were much better than yours, when you touched yourself during the night to find solace after dreams full of a mysterious man. And maybe it was surprising for you, but you wanted him from the moment he crossed the threshold of your temple.

His fingers curled and you felt him touch the place that gave you the most pleasure. His mouth was on your breast again, kissing and caressing it.

"Yes, Marcus... Please..." you moaned, digging your nails into his shoulders.

"Give it to me, little bird. Let me give you what you need."

When his thumb started making small circles on your clit, you closed your eyes, giving yourself to him completely. Pleasure spread through your body, and your pussy squeezed pleasantly on his fingers. You grabbed his face, kissing him hungrily as if you wanted to take all the air from his lungs. But Marcus just smiled.

You noticed how he pulled out a hard cock from under his tunic, a bit of precum glistening on its tip. Your lips became wetter.

"I don't know if I'll be able to take you..." the words left your lips.

"You can do it, little bird. And you'll take me many more times."

He kissed you hard, and his hands grabbed your buttocks and lifted you up so that you wrapped your legs around his waist. His tip brushed against your entrance a few times, and then you felt him push inside. Your walls slowly stretched and took him deeper and deeper.

"Breathe... Breathe, baby." his whisper was trembling with the pleasure he felt too "You're so tight, so warm..."

You moaned as he pushed in all the way. You both had to get used to this overwhelming feeling when you were one. His lips found yours, kissing them gently, but after a moment Marcus' eyes darkened.

His hips began to move, his cock began to thrust harder and faster. Your body was beginning to refuse to obey you. Luckily Marcus' arms held you tightly as he pressed himself into you.

"You're so perfect..." he panted, pressing his forehead to yours. "So perfect for me. I'll make you my wife... You'll swell up from my children... Every night... Ugh! Every night I'll bury my cock inside you, to hear those lovely sounds you make."

"Marcus!" your fingers tightened in his hair as you felt yourself getting close again. "I feel... I feel..."

"Let go, little bird. Let me fill you. Gods..."

He felt your velvet walls squeeze his cock, and your body tensed and shuddered as you reached your climax. But Marcus didn't stop. His cock moved inside you further and harder.

"You'll be only mine..." he rasped "Oh, fuck... So perfect, so pure..."

"Fill me all over, Marcus." you whispered "Make me yours."

And he did. His seed spurted inside you, painting your walls as he came with a loud groan.

You both breathed deeply, stunned by what had happened. His hands slowly left you and you stood unsteadily on the ground.

"I don't know what I did to deserve such grace from the gods." Marcus' voice was calm "But I will be grateful to them for the rest of my life for giving me you."

"If this is fate and the will of the gods, we can't fight it." you replied.

His hands slowly helped you put your robes back on, his eyes following your every move. There was silence all around.

His seed slowly dripped down your thigh. He felt it when he brushed his fingers against the inside of your thighs to keep that feeling of closeness for a moment longer.

"I'll take you to Rome, I'll make you my wife." he said. "You have nothing to fear with me."

"I won't be afraid, Marcus. Not when I'm with you." you replied. "I'm ready for our fate to be fulfilled."

In a moment his lips found yours again, kissing you tenderly. And when they broke away, he kissed the back of your hand and placed it over his heart hidden under his armor.

The favorite of the god of war, Mars.

By the will of the gods, your destiny took the form of this man.

☆☆☆

Thank you for your time.

[somewhereincairparavel]

i badly wanted dark!Jason tbh. I mean, we got a dark Percy choking a goddess, and a dark Nico ghostifying a roman legionnaire, but the closest thing we got to a dark!Jason was when he was possessed by eidolon and electrocuted Percy, or his anger when Thalia was turned into an ice statue which isnt dark enough imo. I just wanted pure RAGE from him, till the point he ends up doing something completely out of character and stuns everyone.

I mean, Jason is the son of the king of all gods, his rage would be absolute terror no doubt. His dad is an angry man, so I hc him to have his dad's unhinged anger if he gets out of control (I honestly feel like this is a necessity for all Zeus kids lol). Also, Jupiter is A LOT more unhinged than Zeus considering he's roman so jason should arguably have more craziness in him . Maybe something like sucking the air out of someone's lungs to make them stop breathing for a few secs. And Leo going "man, you gotta stop shocking us like this. Pun intended"

imagine the potential of that scene. Wasted potential yet again. smh.

[yourthirdparent]

visual representation of the only real version

so what im gathering is literally no one agrees

[po1sonous-l0ve]

Explaining Jason Grace's Spd headcannon

So a couple of days ago, I made a headcannons post and one of them is that Jason has some kind of Split Personality Disorder, so I thought I'd elaborate on that.

Jason arrived at Camp Jupiter at around 3-4 years old, which is around the time the personality of the child is developing.

He would have been conditioned as a child soldier, making sure that he was loyal to New Rome. Also, being the son of Jupiter, God of Justice, he most likely would have played judge, jury and executioner for the enemies of Rome.

He would have had to literally KILL legionnaires at a young age. That has to fuck up a kid, to the point of them becoming at least slightly psycho.

Yet when we are shown him in the books, he is not like that. He is kind and friendly and protective. Until the fight with Poryphorion (don't check my spelling on that.) He is reportedly scarier and terrifying, listing his roles in the legion before going in for the kill. Leo even says, "You been eating red meat?" Signifying a change in attitude.

In MoA, he contemplates leaving Nico behind when it comes to the safety of Rome, in front of his sister no less.

All this leads me to think Jason disassociate or splits of from his personality and takes on a new persona to keep himself from going insane with guilt, or losing himself.

This also leads me to believe that although I love him and think he's a strong character, he would not have survived Tartarus, because Tartarus strips you down to the person you are at your core.

Thank you for listening to my TED talk. 😘🤗

[seulgishaku]

I'm just soooo obsessed with the concept of Jason putting the safety of the world and the will of the gods over. Literally everything else.

Like it's so bad he starts to stop feeling guilty about letting people die and leaving them behind because "its for a greater cause, it was a worthy sacrifice"

He doesn't get close to anyone just in case they end up being a traitor to his camp, to his city. He can't get rid of people he has feelings for, so he'll have feelings for nobody.

He performs executions for caught traitors and converting demigods with the blankest expressions on his face. This is normal. They drew their swords to Rome and now Rome will draw their swords against them. Who knows how much demigod blood is on his hands.

(A legionnaire made a joke once. "Hey Grace, what's your body count, and don't lie to me. Your a son of Jupiter and a good looking guy." "Idk what that has to do with it, but I've killed 17 demigods." "K-killed?")

The legion at Jupiter raised him to be a loyal soldier

They might have done a little too well.

[yonemurishiroku]

Yeah I was having too much free time and the realization has descended upon me about how much unbelievable sense it makes if Luke were to replace Nico in HOO.

Knowing about Camp Jupiter? - Yeah Idk ab you but like. Alabaster Torrington, former Lieutenant of the Titan Army, is literally out there wielding an Imperial Gold sword. Also Saturn's throne was attacked by the legionnaire. Surely there are many pieces missing but I mean the picture is there.

But how come Luke can become the Ambassador like Nico did? - You guys call Luke a manipulator all the time. He has the tongue he has the skills he has the charm. He'd be fineeeee

Also I reckon Luke vs Octavian might bring a fun dynamic to the stage idk. Former villain vs New Villain. Both with a diplomatic tongue and blonde hair and blue eyes--- Percy's gonna have an aneurysm.

Treading the Tartarus looking for the Doors of Death? - Luke's basically a (godly) federal criminal. He could have been banished to Tartarus. And who knows maybe he could have found his old shoes floating across the hell site that somehow helped him survive for all that time---

Nemesis helped Nico? Well, Nemesis is Ethan's mother and Ethan once sided with Luke back in the day, I wonder how she'd have reacted----

"The Twins wouldn't want Luke" - Well well welll. What if they did intend to take Nico but Luke somehow switched their places/ replaced him bc he refused to let the kid be a prisoner? What then?

Percy making Nico promise to lead them to the House of Hades? - Double angst bc now it's Luke - who led many demigods astray once. Would Percy have the heart to trust him? Would a promise be enough against all those times they had stood on two sides of the war?

Leading the way to the House of Hades? - Think about it. Luke's basically dead. He's a ghost. His father is also the god of traveling. Surely he can have some kind of instincts that guide him through the halls of the dead.

Transporting the Athena Parthenos? - Again. Son of Hermes, god of travel. Look me in the eye and tell me there's no plausible way Luke Castellan could have some sort of teleportation spell that magically blips them a thousand miles away.

And the best thing in all of this, is that Luke actually has the personal motive to fight Gaea.

For Nico, it's more like kindness, the "If I don't do this, those I love will die" - which is sweet, alright, but also quite universal. Luke has more than that. Luke has actually a personal reason which is he has committed the same mistake once. He brought Kronos upon them and only managed to kill him by killing himself. He sacrificed so much for the demigods' sake and now Octavian wants to raise Gaea to doom all of them? He was the one who allied himself with the monsters only to receive the bitter ending, and now Octavian intends to repeat the same mistake?

Try telling me Luke wouldn't want to rip the guy to shreds and blast Geae into pieces. I dare you.

Also obviously the hype of getting a friend-turned-foe turn ally again. How would Percy and Annabeth react? How's Thalia gonna react when Luke comes across the Amazons + Hunters when on his way transporting the Pathernos? Dammit I'd eat that shit up as if I've been starving since the day I was born.

[shalomniscient]

Okay so... About the new zoya fic, how about some classic angst idea where the situations was switched? Like, what if instead of zoya, it's the reader who get hurt? Maybe the hospital get attacked or something? There's so much possibilities but I'd like to hear what you thought about this, pretty please?👉👈

oh, zoya is going feral. if the danger is still present, she's rampaging until all that's left is her and you. if the danger is already dealt with, she's scooping you into her arms and booking it to salva. fuck getting a car or bike, there's no time, and zoya doesn't have those long fucking legs for nothing. she's running like the absolute wind, leaping and vaulting over any obstacles in her way because of all the things in the world that she's lost by god she will not lose you.

if the hospital is attacked, zoya is notified about it immediately and she's going over there herself with her best legionnaires. assuming iron hasn't handled the situation already, she does NOT hold back, dragging whoever dared to attack legion-protected lands by the neck and flinging them out onto the road. she respects you and iron enough to not kill on hospital grounds, but outside? no man's land. iron, especially if you got injured, turns a complete blind eye to the slaughter.

once everything has been handled she's rushing back in to be by your side. if it's not too bad, she'll sit by you while you're being stitched up, maybe holding your hand to support you. stitches hurt, she knows from experience. or maybe you're stitching yourself up, and she tries not to let the discomfort—not from blood or anything, but from seeing you hurt—on her face show. she'll wordlessly help you get what you need; gauze, wire, needle, saline. and once you're done she'll help with the bandaging.

but if your condition is bad, oh, she's pacing out in front of the OR. she'll be caught between anger at being late to protect you from getting hurt and anxiety that fuck, she really might lose you. both feel like they're clawing at her already fractured soul. she'll wait outside the OR for as long as it takes until iron comes out, exhaustion written on her features, and zoya braces for bad news, but exhales loudly with relief when iron tells her you're fine. once she gets to see you, you're still asleep from medication, and she takes your hand so gently, hating how fragile you seem like this.

(there's a howling voice in her head that says your fault. all your fault.

she doesn't fight it.)

when you wake up, she's asleep by your bedside, your hand still tenderly held in her own. she stirs when you brush your fingers against her knuckles, and she manages an uncharacteristically small "hey". she offers you an easygoing smile, but you know her well enough to notice the guilt in her eyes, no matter how hard she tries to hide it. you'll have to reassure her, like coaxing a frightened dog, that none of it was her fault, and that, well, she got here in time, didn't she? you're alive, so it's all fine.

if you invite her into your small cot, she won't say no, and if you wrap your arms around her, she won't move a muscle. her body curls around your smaller one, protective even in sleep.

iron finds you both tangled together the next morning when she's due to change your bandages. anne is about to step in and stop her from waking you and zoya, but to her surprise, iron is the one who quietly shuts the curtains again and steps away.

(it's been a long time since she's seen you that peaceful, after all.)

[bayetea]

— please stay, hippocrene

( a percabeth + frazel romantic getaway fic )

summary — ;

♡ — Percy, Frank, Annabeth, and Hazel, hoping to take a break from their adult responsibilities (and have some desperately needed alone time with their partners), go on vacation together. Their plans are thwarted harshly when a certain ring of goddesses summons them to a quest. With their holiday sorely interrupted, can they still make time for romance?

content — ;

♡ steamy. vanilla. intimate. romantic. silly. rom-com vibes. tooth-achingly sweet. ♡ features percabeth and frazel equally, + very minor jiper and solangelo ♡ takes place approx. 9 years after HoO, ignores all books afterwards ♡ characters are explicitly described as adults in their 20s ♡ don't like, don't read/interact. see ao3 link for more info and warnings

excerpt below the cut, please like if you read. reblogs are appreciated ♡

Preview

[ ... ] The melodies of New Rome chirped in the distant background; lares scolding unruly legionnaires, Hannibal the elephant stomping about the grounds, eagles squawking in the dusky sky above—but the only sound that Hazel seemed to mind was that which thundered from his chest. “Your heartbeat’s really going, Frank.” she observed, lifting her head an inch from his body. “Sheesh. Is it usually like this?” And he answered without thinking, “It is around you.” Their eyes met right then. Frank blushed up to his ears. Looking directly into Hazel’s eyes often felt like opening up a treasure chest. One could hardly tell the difference between heaps of gold jewelry and the amber in her eyes, shimmering like gilded shards of cherished earth. As she stared up at him with those faultless, glittery irises, Frank thought to himself that he was still out of his league. This brave, stunning woman laying sweetly in his arms, whose dear love felt like a fairytale… His eyes wandered to her lips. Gorgeous, shapely little things—the lips that framed her every picturesque smile. At this moment, he couldn’t stop staring at them. He knew what he wanted to do. He wasn’t brave enough. What a poor excuse for a child of Mars, who could plunder the battlefield valiantly but now failed to summon enough courage to kiss his own girlfriend— “Y—you can kiss me, Frank. It’s okay…” His heart stopped for a moment. Frank looked back up to her eyes and he felt stupid, graceless, embarrassed; he must have been staring at her mouth so obviously. Could he be any less romantic? Hazel looked rather shy herself. Her thumb drew nervous circles on his chest, and she struggled to maintain eye contact. But she had uttered those heart-stopping words, and she seemed to have meant them. Her back had straightened so that her face was a little closer in level to his. Likely on purpose. Frank could barely control his breathing. They had already kissed not long ago, but with the daylight dimmed, with the fact that they would usually be preparing for bed in separate rooms by now, this felt… different… Gods, he was so uncool. — PSH, Ch. 01

♡ Read the full chapter on AO3, here.

[letmebegaytodd]

Thinking about that recent "benny is a tragic character because he's dead from the moment you meet him" post and its making his stupid note actually seem really sad. Yes it's a hilarious note, but also? Well, if he wasn't a doomed character who was going to die no matter what anybody did in the end, then, god dude. You were gonna go on a date. Maybe, just maybe, it could have been something real. But you'll never know. You never get the chance to know. (Courier 6 keeping the note, first because she thinks it's stupid and she's gonna laugh at it with her friends, but later because she can't stop thinking about that "what if")

GOD, and no matter what you do, you CAN'T save him, you can NEVER save him!

And what gets me is like, and I know it was most likely completely unintentional on Obsidian's part because they ran out of time, but even if you spare Benny's life, save him from Caesar's Fort, kill all the legionnaires, even then, he still leaves forever, just as if he had died!

He's doomed by the narrative, and he's doomed by the game ITSELF

[knightofthenewrepublic]

Percy would have worked with Octavian, but the Augur never gave him a chance

(or Why Octavian's actions weren’t justified)

As people spend more and more time critically examining the Riordanvese (often to a fault, it must be said) one of the most common revisionist arguments is to try and absolve the mortal villains of the consequences of their action; usually by exaggerating their motivations. That includes the argument that Octavian was so quick to war partially because he was treated poorly by the Greeks. Particularly by Percy Jackson. 

But does that actually hold up?

People will argue that Octavian was not evil, because attacking Camp Halfblood was justified from his perspective; he thought they had broken a truce with New Rome and attacked it. And that would be a fair argument, IF that was the only bad thing Octavian had done, or even the worst thing. It wasn’t. And Octavian had begun trying to trigger conflict well before that. Percy, on the other hand, did his best to prevent it.

The first scene where Percy meets Octavian, is also the first time we see his sinister side. And that is of course when he tries to blackmail Hazel into supporting him for Praetor.

Now there is an aspect of the context of this scene that I think a lot of people overlook; their ages. Octavian is 18, or near enough, and Hazel is 13. This is a guy old enough to vote, (the only one of them who isn’t a child soldier) blackmailing a girl too young to get a learner’s permit. Just before this, Percy says Octavian reminds him of someone; which is obviously a reference to Luke Castellan. This type of nearly grooming behavior would have really reinforced that impression; which explains Percy’s hostile reaction to it.

Percy slipped his hand into his pocket, and grabbed his pen. This guy was blackmailing Hazel. That was obvious. One sign from Hazel, and Percy was ready to bust out Riptide and see how Octavian liked being at the end of a blade.

But Percy keeps these urges internal. He doesn’t voice his anger, and doesn’t give any visible reaction. The other two keep talking like he’s not there. This is a pretty good demonstration of Percy’s hard won self control; on his first day at Camp Half-Blood he doused Clarisse with toilet water for less, without even meaning to.

The next interaction he has with Octavian isn’t much better.

“Recruit,” he [Octavian] asked, “do you have any credentials? Letters of reference?” Percy shifted. “Letters? Um, no.” Octavian wrinkled his nose. Unfair! Hazel wanted to shout. Percy had carried a goddess into camp. What better recommendation could you want? But Octavian’s family had been sending kids to camp for over a century. He loved reminding recruits that they were less important than he was.  “No letters,” Octavian said regretfully. “Will any legionnaires stand for him?”

Now just asking this question is obviously standard practice, so Octavian isn’t wrong for that. It’s his condescending reaction that is the unsubtle putdown.

But then things come to a head very quickly, when that night’s game of capture the flag ends in a visit from the god Mars, and the command he delivers; a quest to retrieve the legion Eagle, and free Death.

Now what’s really important here is that, while people often think of Leo attacking Camp Jupiter as the point where Octavian turned against the heroes, THIS is the actual point. THIS is where he goes from being a nuisance to being an antagonist.

It starts in the Senate meeting the next day, when Percy tries to make sense of the situation:

“This Giant, the son of Gaea--he’s the one who defeated your forces thirty years ago. I’m sure of it. Now he’s sitting up there in Alaska with a chained death god, and all your old equipment. He's mustering his armies and sending them south to attack this camp.”

Percy is just repeating what Mars literally told them the night before. Octavian’s reasonable reaction to this is:

“Really?” Octavian said. “You seem to know a lot about our enemy’s plans, Percy Jackson.”

Him, and everyone else who was conscious at the end of the war games.

In spite of being almost outright accused of treason, Percy still keeps his cool. This shows a lot of growth on his part, compared to where he was in the second book of the previous series:

This was so completely unfair, I told Tantalus to go chase a donut, which didn’t help his mood.

After a bit more discussion, Octavian makes his move. First he gets in another insult. 

“Mars has clearly chosen the least likely candidates for this quest. Perhaps it is because he considers them the most expendable.”

And then he argues that the senate should not give any of the support that would normally be given to a quest. The odds of them succeeding are already so low; better to use their resources to protect the camp.

It’s pretty easy for us, the readers, to overlook what a dick move this really is. Of course WE know that the heroes are going to come back alive; but in universe, there is nothing to guarantee that. Even a small magical trinket could be the difference between life and death. And Octavian is trying to deny them that.

This could be understandable, if there was any sincerity to it. A sad but necessary sacrifice for the greater good, to protect the camp. But after arguing that all their resources have to be saved for the battle, Octavian proceeds to do nothing with them. When the giant’s army arrives, the legion simply marches out and fights them with conventional ranks and swords. Aside from a few roman scorpions (large crossbows), no specialized weapons are brought out, no magical items are used, they didn’t even build a wall or a trench. So there was no real reason not to give them anything; even if he sincerely believed the quest was doomed, that was all the more reason to help. The right magical tool might have at least given them the chance to get back alive. Depriving the questers served no purpose other than to make them fail.

You can also see this, in the fact that all Octavian’s stated reasons don’t actually win over the senate. 

The senators’ eyes moved back and forth between Octavian and Reyna, watching the test of wills. Reyna straightened in her chair. “Very well,” she said tightly. We shall put it to a vote.”

No one gives their support to Octavian before this. The senators are waiting to follow the person they see as more powerful, not the argument that was more convincing.

As for motivations, there is only one that Octavian could have; with the election just days away, he wants to prevent a rival for the praetorship.

Is the fulfillment of an epic quest a silly basis for entrusting someone with supreme executive power? Yes, in the real world, it is. But demigods don’t live in the real world; and in their world, everything revolves around quests. Quests drive every important event in the series, and are the ultimate standard by which the skill and power of a demigod are demonstrated. As Annabeth puts it in TLT:

“At camp you train and train. And that’s all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That’s where you learn whether you’re any good or not.”

If Percy returns from a land that wiped out half a legion of demigods, with the long lost legion Eagle, the mob that is Rome will raise him up on the fanciest shield they can find. And Octavian isn’t the only one who has put that together. The very next chapter sees Reyna tell Percy that he could stand for praetor if he succeeds; and we are reminded several times that Octavian is far more politically savvy than she is. If she’s put it together, you can bet that he has.

But going back to the senate meeting itself; we see another example of Percy choosing not to start a conflict with Octavian, even when he seems to be trying to get him killed. Instead, he focuses on the important issues:

Frank jumped to his feet. Before he could start a fight, Percy said, “Fine! No problem. but at least give us transportation.”

Percy is more concerned about succeeding in saving the camp than satisfying any grudges. Octavian is more interested in how many insults he can fit into one meeting.

“A boat!” Octavian turned to the senators. “The son of Neptune wants a boat. Sea travel has never been the Roman way, but he isn’t much of a Roman!”

(The insult proves to be quite a hypocritical one in BOO, when Octavian has boats built to surround Camp Half-Blood.)

Octavian’s next attempt to start a conflict with Percy is slightly more subtle.

They were only halfway across the forum when someone called, “Jackson!” Percy turned and saw Octavian jogging toward them.  “What do you want ?” Percy asked. Octavian smiled. “Already decided I’m your enemy? That’s a rash choice Percy. I’m a loyal Roman.” Frank snarled. “You backstabbing, slimy–” Both Percy and Hazel had to restrain him.

Why is Octavian talking about being enemies? It doesn’t say Percy asked angrily, or Percy growled, or Percy glared at him. It’s a very dramatic reaction.

And Percy has done nothing to suggest that he wants to be Octavian’s enemy. Sure he has grown to dislike the augur, as most people would with someone who insults them and blackmails children:

Nico put his finger to his lips. Suddenly all the lares went silent. Some looked alarmed, like their mouths had been glued together. Percy wished he had that power over certain living people . . . like Octavian, for instance.

But he’s been keeping those critical thoughts to himself. He even avoided arguing in the senate meeting so as not to escalate things. The worst thing he’s done was knocking Octavian out during capture-the-flag which was both a perfectly fair move and a good strategy. Hardly something to base a feud on.

Most likely, this is a freudian slip on Octavian’s part. He’s already started to see Percy as an enemy, for no other reason than he might be a rival. That, or it’s an attempt at gaslighting Percy into thinking he somehow provoked Octavian into trying to get him killed. In any case, the augur hardly seems unhappy to see him, and the two legionnaires at his side, go off to their deaths.

Octavian smiled wickedly. “The last person she [Reyna] had a private talk with was Jason Grace. And that was the last time I ever saw him. Good luck and goodbye, Percy Jackson.”

If he’s happy to see them go, he’s certainly not happy when they come back alive. 

The look on Octavian’s face was priceless. the centurion stared at Percy with shock, then outrage. Then, when his own troops started to cheer, he had no choice except to join the shouting: “Rome! Rome!”

Not the appropriate reaction when Percy is saving the city, not to mention Octavian’s own life. The auger doesn’t have a single kind word to say.

The Roman symbols burned into Percy’s arm: a trident, SPQR, and a single stripe. It felt like someone was pressing a hot iron into his skin, but Percy managed not to scream. Octavian embraced him and whispered, “I hope it hurt.”

Just before this, Octavian kills a teddy bear and reads the future from it, announcing:

good omens for the coming year–Fortuna would bless them!

It has been suggested that Octavian actually had a very different vision at this moment; that he saw the Argo II opening fire on New Rome, and kept that to himself, but turned against Percy and the other Greeks because of that. This doesn’t seem likely. It would serve his purposes better to share that information; and he would have seen that vision in front of hundreds of demigods hardwired to notice small details, none of whom notice him having any visible reaction to it. Besides which, this can’t be the point when he turns on Percy, since he’s already been trying to sabotage him for most of the book.

Now if there is some big conflict between Percy and Octavian, this is the time for Percy to win it decisively. To use his new power and authority to put the auger in his place.

But Percy doesn’t do that.

“Why should we trust these Greeks?” Octavian was saying. He’d been pacing the senate floor for five minutes, going on and on, trying to counter what Percy had told them about Juno’s plan and the Prophecy of Seven.

Rather than simply steamroll over the discussion, and try to use his authority to silence any opposition, Percy allows Octavian a reasonable amount of time to air his concerns, before finally stepping in with his counter argument.

When Percy lays out the details of why they must join the Greeks, Octavian never comes up with a logical counter argument. Instead, when a messenger reports the Argo II has been spotted, he resorts to paranoid rambling.

“Praetors!” The messenger cried. “What are your orders?” Octavian [who is not a praetor] shot to his feet. “You have to ask?” His face was red with rage. He was strangling his teddy bear. “The omens are horrible! This is a trick, a deception. Beware Greeks bearing gifts!” He jabbed a finger at Percy. “His friends are attacking in a warship. He has led them here. We must attack!”

Yesterday when he last read the entrails, Octavian said the omens were good. Now, they’re suddenly horrible. That pretty well justifies Percy’s growing disregard for Octavian’s auguries.

Not only that; he is accusing Percy of treachery, while at the same time suggesting they attack a ship that can be seen bearing a white flag.

And this is before a single shot has been fired on New Rome. That false-flag attack by Gaea can not be the inciting incident for Octavian’s hostility to the Greeks. Not if what he wanted to do before it happened is the same as what he wanted to do after it happened. The attack is just what incentives the rest of the camp to support him.

The last interaction between Percy and Octavian is pretty much the first two chapters of MOA, where Octavian does his best to offend the Greeks.

“You’re letting these intruders into the camp!”

When Reyna orders Octavian to go make a sacrifice to the gods, Percy adds:

“Good idea. Go burn your bears Octavian.”

An insulting way to put it; but no more so than calling the Greek ambassadors (including a Roman praetor and Percy’s own girlfriend) “intruders.” And no more harsh than the insults Octavian has used for legionnaires below himself, like Frank and Hazel. And Percy has been given enough reason not to trust Octavian’s auguries any more than he trusts him.

The last exchange between them is about the praetorship:

Octavian snorted. “Which means we have three praetors! The rules clearly state we can only have two! “On the bright side,” Percy said, “both Jason and I outrank you, Octavian. So we can both tell you to shut up.” Octavian turned as purple as a Roman T-shirt. Jason gave Percy a fist bump.

I can only imagine how long Jason has been waiting for someone to say that to Octavian. It has been suggested this is an abuse of power on Percy’s part, but there is no reason to think so. They are surrounded by the senior officers of the legion, some of whom will be on Octavian's side, and no one raises an objection. And it's not like Octavian actually treats it like an order.

“I’ll step aside for Jason,” Percy said easily. “It’s no biggie.” “No biggie?” Octavian choked. “The praetorship of Rome is no biggie?”

No need to go into detail about how the rest of the series goes. Gaea triggers a war between the Greeks and Romans, and Octavian walks right into it. There is no reason to think he was working for her; but he was plainly looking for an excuse to start hostilities.

[greenwitchfromthewoods]

hi! I'd like to make a request from that prompt list: "it's as if my entire life i have been sinking in a storm and you came and pulled me out." + with General Marcus Acacius, with him being the one to say that sentence, if that's alright. thank you anyway :)

The last few days have been hard for me, mentally, but I hope I managed to fulfill your request. Thank you, sweetie. ❤️ i'm sorry for all mistakes

warnings : a little bit of smut, unprotected sex (don't do that!), mentioning war, mentioning gods, fluff

prompts list here

No victory, no treasures, no victory parades, no favors showered on him by the Emperor's hands were comparable to what your gaze gave him. He searched for it in chambers full of men and women, who, drinking wine, admired everything he and his troops had brought back from another expedition.

No, these were just empty moments. Meaningless to Marcus, because he didn't want that. He only wanted to see the face he loved again.

And finally he saw you. Among other women, wives of senators and high-ranking officials. You looked at him with love and reverence, the glow of candles reflected in your eyes. Even more beautiful than when he left Rome.

You raised your glass of wine towards him, and he did the same. The gods were kind to him, he came home...

"What is troubling you, Marcus?"

Your delicate hand on his shoulder, then gently slid down as you moved closer to him. You rested your chin on his shoulder, snuggling up to his bare back. The warmth of his body always delighted you. You knew the tiny freckles on his body better than the constellations of stars in the night sky. 

My Marcus...

There was no answer. Only his hand rested on your knee, stroking it gently, and his eyes closed at the tender kisses placed on his neck.

"You're never able to fall asleep when you come home." You said quietly "Should I ask for a tent to be set up for you in the garden? You'll still be able to feel like you're among your legionnaires."

A small smile crept onto his lips. "And I would give up the sweetness of your body, love? Never." He turned his face to brush his lips against your temple "I'm sorry, this silence... It always makes me anxious. I can't sleep. I keep hearing all this..."

"War?"

Your fingers slid into his curly hair, so pleasantly soft. Marcus nodded.

"War, the screams of people, the sound of fighting... There's so much of it in my head."

"I wish I could take this burden off your shoulders, Marcus."

"You already do, my love. Just one look from you is enough to make me feel free."

He needed you, you could feel it. Wrapped in a sheet, you crept onto his lap. The cool night air seeped in through the open windows, but you didn't feel it. Soft and warm light filled the chamber, the scent of jasmine enveloped you both, and you stared into the face of your beloved man.

He had a few more wrinkles, a few new scars that you had already managed to kiss between intoxicating moments in the sheets, a few more gray hairs, but his eyes - they were still your Marcus's eyes.

General Marcus Acacius could command the entire army of the Roman Empire, but next to you he was your Marcus. He was the man you gave yourself to and wanted to spend the rest of your life with.

"I hate it when you're so far away from me." he mumbled, his eyes hungry for your sight, moving lazily over your face. "It's not fair."

"I don't like it either. I'd rather have you here, by my side, under me, inside me..."

Brown gentle eyes quivered slightly. Strong hands gripped your buttocks and pulled you closer, so that you felt his half-hard cock between your thighs.

"The Emperor should be sated by now. How much more of the world can you lay at his feet? Even maps have their limits."

"You deserve all of this..." you frowned in surprise. "You deserve the whole world, all the gold... I would lay this world at your feet, my love."

"I wouldn't accept that. I only want you. I want you to be mine, forever."

You took his face in your hands and came closer, kissing his soft lips tenderly. His manhood twitched noticeably near your entrance. 

So many months of abstinence meant that the first few days together were spent mostly in bed. If you had to go somewhere, Marcus always made sure you felt his seed flowing lazily down your thigh. Knowing that he had possessed you just before his meetings with high-ranking Romans gave him a sense of even greater power.

Marcus couldn't get enough of you, if he could he would spend the rest of his life not on the battlefield, but between your thighs with his cock buried deep inside you.

You rested your forehead against his, closing your eyes, your hand resting on his chest. You felt his heart beating hard under your fingers.

"So much rests on your shoulders, Marcus. I wish I had the power to take it away from you..." you whispered.

"You already do, my love. The fact that I hold you in my arms instead of holding my sword is a grace of the gods."

"The gods wouldn't make you fight. The gods wouldn't take you away from me for so long. The gods wouldn't risk your life." you replied defiantly. You risked the wrath of the gods, you loved him so much.

"They were the ones who allowed us to meet and be together. And they are the ones who will give us everything we need." Marcus' voice was soothing, flowing over you like sweet honey. "Oh, sweet creature... If only you knew..."

"What Marcus?"

"How much you mean to me, how you save me every day... It's as if my entire life I have been sinking in a storm and you came and pulled me out. Thanks to you I feel like I'm truly alive..."

Tears sparkled in your eyes and you blinked them away quickly. You couldn't have expected a greater gift from fate than this man.

When you spoke, your voice was trembling, "So let me save you once more. Let me take all the hardships off of you."

You slid your hand between your bodies. His cock was already hard enough that you guided it towards your center. You lifted yourself up slightly, your entrance still slippery from the last time you made love, and then you lowered yourself onto him. The wonderful feeling of his cock stretching you out took your breath away for a moment.

"Oh, gods..." Marcus moaned quietly, "You are everything, love. Everything."

You let him lose himself in you. You allowed him to find relief and solace. And when it was all over, Marcus fell asleep peacefully. You were his goddess, the only one he worshiped. The only one he lived for.

[wanderingmind867]

Octavian somehow managed to bow even lower. "Um, Lord Mars, just one tiny thing. A quest requires a prophecy, a mystical poem to guide us! We used to get them from the Sibylline books, but now it’s up to the augur to glean the will of the gods. So if I could just run and get about seventy stuffed animals and possibly a knife –" "You’re the augur?" the god interrupted. "Y-yes, my lord." Mars pulled a scroll from his utility belt. "Anyone got a pen?" The legionnaires stared at him. Mars sighed. "Two hundred Romans, and no one’s got a pen? Never mind!" He slung his M16 onto his back and pulled out a hand grenade. There were many screaming Romans. Then the grenade morphed into a ballpoint pen, and Mars began to write. Frank looked at Percy with wide eyes. He mouthed: Can your sword do grenade form? Percy mouthed back, No. Shut up. "There!" Mars finished writing and threw the scroll at Octavian. "A prophecy. You can add it to your books, engrave it on your floor, whatever." Octavian read the scroll. "This says, Go to Alaska. Find Thanatos and free him. Come back by sundown on June twenty-fourth or die." "Yes," Mars said. "Is that not clear?" "Well, my lord … usually prophecies are unclear. They’re wrapped in riddles. They rhyme, and …" Mars casually popped another grenade off his belt. "Yes?"

"The prophecy is clear!’ Octavian announced. ‘A quest!" "Good answer. "

I loved reading this scene. Octavian was so desperate to get a prophecy, and then Mars created the most honest and literal prophecy ever. Octavian and Mars were like a perfect double act for this scene.